Patricia Kennealy-Morrison

Patricia Kennealy-Morrison (b. Patricia Kennely March 4, 1946, Brooklyn) is an American author of rock criticism, an autobiography, and science fiction/fantasy novels. Most of her books are part of her series, "The Keltiad". She has also published in anthologies and periodicals. As first a writer and then the editor-in-chief of "Jazz and Pop" magazine in the late sixties, she was one of the first women rock critics. Kennealy-Morrison has worked as an advertising copywriter, receiving two Clio nominations. She is a Dame of the Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani, a High Priestess in a Celtic Pagan tradition and a member of Mensa.Kennealy-Morrison, Patricia (1998) "Blackmantle - A Book of The Keltiad". New York, HarperPrism ISBN 0-06-105610-3] cite book | first =Patricia | last =Kennealy | authorlink = | coauthors = | year =1992 | month = | title =Strange Days: My Life With And Without Jim Morrison | chapter = | editor = | others = | edition = | pages = | publisher =Dutton/Penguin | location =New York| id =ISBN 0-525-93419-7 | url = ]

Biography

Kennealy-Morrison was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised on Long Island.

She attended St. Bonaventure University for two years, majoring in Journalism. She later transferred to Harpur College (now known as Binghamton University) where she graduated with a B.A. in English Literature in 1967. She then moved to New York City, where she worked first as a lexicographer for Macmillan Publishing, then as an editorial assistant at and, from 1968-1971, editor-in-chief of Jazz & Pop magazine. She was one of the first female rock critics ever, leaving the field in 1971.

As editor-in-chief of "Jazz and Pop" she first interviewed Jim Morrison of the rock band The Doors in January 1969. After the interview, they began a correspondence, became friends and later lovers. She and Morrison exchanged marriage vows in a Celtic Pagan handfasting ceremony in June 1970. Before witnesses, one of them a Presbyterian minister,cite book | first =Patricia | last =Kennealy | authorlink = | coauthors = | year =1992 | month = | title =Strange Days: My Life With And Without Jim Morrison | chapter = | editor = | others = | edition = | pages =p.63 | publisher =Dutton/Penguin | location =New York| id =ISBN 0-525-93419-7 | url = ] the couple signed a document declaring themselves wedded.Kennealy (1992) p.175, plate 7.] Although handfasting, like other religious ceremonies, is not legal unless the appropriate State paperwork is filed, she later changed her legal name to include Morrison's name, and Morrison addressed letters and poems to her as "Patricia Morrison" and "my wife, Patricia". [http://web.archive.org/web/20000903015026/www.lizardqueen.com/html/gallery.html Facsimiles of poems and notes, photo of engraving] , "written by Jim for Patricia, June 1970." from "Jim and Patricia -- 1968 - 1971" on the lizardqueen.com website (Internet Archive, accessed 2007-04-16)] Jim Morrison's will however left everything to his long time companion Pamela Courson. In the will Jim writes"I am an unmarried person".

Kennealy-Morrison published a memoir about her years with Jim Morrison, "Strange Days: My Life With And Without Jim Morrison", and also discussed their relationship in an interview in the book "Rock Wives". She served as an advisor on Oliver Stone's movie, The Doors, and played a small role in the film, as the High Priestess who marries the Jim and Patricia characters (portrayed by Val Kilmer and Kathleen Quinlan). However, in subsequent interviews and writings she was scathingly critical of Stone's portrayal of Morrison, herself, and other people who were the basis for the film's fictional characters, saying Stone's fiction bore little to no resemblance to the people she had known or the events they lived through. [cite book | first =Charles | last =Kiselyak | authorlink = | coauthors = | year =1997 | month = | title = [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363032/ The Road of Excess (documentary)] ] Kennealy (1992) pp.378-381, 416-420.] In the film her character is referred to as a "Wicca Priestess", however Kennealy-Morrison identifies as a Celtic Pagan, not a Wiccan.

In 2000, Robin Ventura, third baseman for the pennant-winning New York Mets, took the phrase "Mojo Risin" from The Doors' "L.A. Woman" and made it the rallying cry for the team that year. Ventura and the Mets invited Kennealy-Morrison to a game just before the playoffs, where she met with them and became a Mets fan.Berardino, Mike. (September 7, 2002) " [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8774129_ITM Mets have only themselves to blame after trading Ventura] " in the "South Florida Sun-Sentinel". Access date June 8, 2007]

Lizard Queen Press

On May 19th, 2007, Kennealy-Morrison announced via her blog that she will be starting her own publishing house, Lizard Queen Press, and self-publishing more novels and non-fiction. The next Keltiad novel will be "The Beltane Queen", and another memoir is in the works, as well.Kennealy-Morrison, Patricia (May 19th, 2007) [http://mojohotel.blogspot.com/2007/05/return-to-keltiaand-other-places.html "Return to Keltia and Other Places"] (accessed May 21, 2007)] Kennealy-Morrison, Patricia (June 21, 2007) [http://mojohotel.blogspot.com/2007/06/turn-on-tune-in-drop-dead-rennie-stride.html Blog post] : "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead - The Rennie Stride Mysteries" (accessed July 3, 2007)]

In June 2007 the author posted that she was in the midst of final preparations to publish "Ungrateful Dead: Murder at the Fillmore", the first in a series of murder mysteries set in the turbulent world of Sixties rock & roll. "Ungrateful Dead" introduces the character of Rennie Stride, rock reporter/detective, and her boyfriend (later husband) Turk Wayland, superstar English lead guitarist. Kennealy-Morrison has described the series as:

"Seamlessly blending the fictional with the real: the stars, the bands, the music, all the excitement of the most incredible decade of the last century... Full of rockworld dish and attitude, created by someone who was not only there for it but made some of it happen herself, and who took just enough drugs to get into it and not so many that she can't remember it..."

"Ungrateful Dead" was published on November 1 2007, to coincide with both the Day of the Dead and The Celtic New Year.

Errata

The author's legal name is "Patricia Kennealy Morrison". As a rock critic and editor, she published under her birth name, "Patricia Kennely", and later as "Patricia Kennealy". From 1994 - 2007 her books were published as "Patricia Kennealy-Morrison", with the hyphen. "Ungrateful Dead" is her first book to be published as simply "Patricia Morrison".

Bibliography

Novels

The Keltiad

* "Blackmantle: A Triumph" (1997)Tales of Aeron
* "The Copper Crown" (1984)
* "The Throne of Scone" (1986)
* "The Silver Branch" (1988)Tales of Arthur
* "The Hawk's Grey Feather" (1990)
* "The Oak Above the Kings" (1994)
* "The Hedge of Mist" (1996)Colloquies of the Ancients
* "The Deer's Cry" (1998)

The Rennie Stride Mysteries

The Rock & Roll Murders
* "Ungrateful Dead: Murder at the Fillmore" (2007)

Non-fiction

* "Strange Days: My Life With And Without Jim Morrison" (1992)

Anthologies

*"Rock She Wrote: Women Write About Rock, Pop, and Rap", eds Evelyn McDonnell and Ann Powers (1995), "Rock Around the Cock". ISBN 0-385-31250-4
*"The Faces of Fantasy: Photographs by Patti Perret", intro Terri Windling, ISBN 0-312-86182-6
*"Crusade of Fire: Mystical Tales of the Knights Templar", ed Katherine Kurtz (2002), "The Last Voyage". ISBN 0-446-61090-9

References

External links

* [http://mojohotel.blogspot.com/ Mrs Morrison's Hotel] - Patricia Kennealy-Morrison's official blog
* [http://pkmorrison.livejournal.com/ Patricia Kennealy Morrison's LiveJournal]
* [http://www.myspace.com/hermajestythelizardqueen Patricia Kennealy Morrison] - The author's official MySpace page
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* [http://www.americanlegends.com/morrison/interview.html An interview with Patricia Kennealy-Morrison about the 1991 film "The Doors"]
* [http://www.lib.rochester.edu/Camelot/intrvws/kennealy.htm Interview with Patricia Kennealy] in [http://www.lib.rochester.edu/Camelot/intrvws/contents.htm Taliesin's Successors: Interviews with Authors of Modern Arthurian Literature]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070212224222/http://www.dragoncon.org/people/morrisp.html Author's Dragon*Con biography] (from the February 12, 2008 version at Internet Archive, accessed June 6, 2008)
* " [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8774129_ITM Mets have only themselves to blame after trading Ventura] " Kennealy-Morrison comments on the New York Mets and the career of Morrison fan, third baseman Robin Ventura